Is getting a TESOL certificate worth it?
Christopher Davis
Updated on April 03, 2026
Earning a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) credential is a valuable asset for teachers looking to enter the ESL field. It is a flexible certification that improves a teacher’s chances of being hired. Despite its many benefits, the TESOL is not for everyone.
Does it matter which TEFL course I do?
In the UK, more first-time EFL teachers take a weekend course than any other TEFL certificate. The course should give you everything you need to get started, it follows a similar curriculum to the longer 4-week courses mentioned below, but obviously not to the same depth.
How long does a TESOL certificate last?
No, TESOL certificates are valid for life, they do not expire. As soon as you complete your online or in-class training course you can use your certificate to find a teaching job, or you can keep it until you are ready to look for work in the future.
Can you fail a TESOL course?
Although it is possible to fail our courses, the vast majority of trainees are successful in their studies and go on to work as ESL teachers across the world. At ITTT we are committed to providing all our trainees with the assistance they need in order to reach their full potential.
What do TESOL teachers get paid?
TESOL Teacher Salaries
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Qkids TESOL Teacher salaries – 1 salaries reported | $19/hr |
| iTutorGroup TESOL Teacher salaries – 1 salaries reported | $16/hr |
| Gogokid TESOL Teacher salaries – 1 salaries reported | $24/hr |
| South-Western City Schools TESOL Teacher salaries – 1 salaries reported | $70,907/yr |
How much does it cost to get TESOL certificate?
You’ll see a range of prices when you browse online TEFL/TESOL courses – from $150 to as much as $1,500. The average 120-hour online TEFL/TESOL course with a tutor typically falls in the middle range of this, at around $300-$600.
How much does a TEFL teacher earn?
How much do TEFL teachers earn? ESL teacher salaries greatly vary depending on where you’re teaching. A teacher’s salary can be as little as $600 USD per month to as much as $4,000 USD!
How much do TESOL teachers earn?
Tesol Teacher Salary
| Annual Salary | Weekly Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $62,000 | $1,192 |
| 75th Percentile | $48,500 | $932 |
| Average | $38,509 | $740 |
| 25th Percentile | $25,500 | $490 |
Is it hard to get a TEFL Certificate?
It is very rare for any student to fail an International TEFL Academy TEFL Certification course. International TEFL Academy has a passing rate of over 90% (one of the highest passing rates of any TEFL school worldwide).
Do you need TESOL certificate or TESOL Master’s?
RE: TESOL certificate vs TESOL Master’s First of all, if you plan to go international, most countries where you would teach EFL will require at the very least a TEFL certification, and as restrictions increase, many are looking for a certification that has a minimum of 20 hours in-class praxis as part of it.
What’s the difference between TEFL and TESOL certification?
As such, it’s first worth mentioning that both the term TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and the term TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) are used interchangeably when it comes to the initial certification taken to teach the English language, so you’ll often see these referred to as TEFL/TESOL certification courses.
How long does it take to get a MA in TESOL?
MA TESOL programs are graduate level, meaning you would first need to complete a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite to these programs. Furthermore, MA TESOL programs are typically two years of study, in contrast to just several months for a TEFL certification course.
Which is an example of a TESOL teacher?
TESOL includes teaching English as a foreign language (such as in the China example) as well as teaching English as a second language (TESL), meaning in a country where the primary language is English. An example of TESL would be a teacher at an English language institute in the U.S. who teaches students from around the world.
